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Southwest Airlines has served Austin, the capital of Texas, for 49 years this month. Cirium Diio data shows that the self-described hybrid operator is the leading carrier at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) for passengers, flights, seats for sale, and available seat miles.
If aircraft movements are considered (takeoffs and landings combined), Southwest has an average of 218 daily services this year. That’s 5% above the previous record, which was set in 2025. The airline now has 41% of the scheduled movements at AUS, nearly double that of the second-placed 
Delta Air Lines.
Southwest Begins 11 New Routes From Austin
Southwest has started or will launch the following routes from AUS in 2026 or 2027, which reflects what is known as of September 25. It is quite possible that other links will materialize. This article follows the recent look at Southwest’s strong network growth in San Diego.
Notice Knoxville, with the city only joining Southwest’s map in March 2026. The carrier began flying from AUS on September 24, the day before this article was written. Ten departures exist to Tennessee, with 11 in the other direction. Two outbound flights are available on September 25, with three back to Texas on September 27. Perhaps this is to cater to the demand for the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Start Or Launch Date | From AUS To… | Southwest’s Operations From AUS In 2026 & 2027* | Previously Served By Southwest? |
|---|---|---|---|
March 7, 2026 | Steamboat Springs | Weekly in 2026, but up to daily in 2027 (737-800, 737-700) | No |
March 7, 2026 | Palm Springs | Two weekly in 2026, but up to six weekly later this year and up to daily in 2027 (737 MAX 8, 737-700) | No |
June 4, 2026 | Cincinnati | Mainly daily (737-700, 737-800, 737 MAX 8) | No |
June 4, 2026 | Seattle | Mainly daily (737 MAX 8, 737-700, 737-800) | Yes, until 2018 |
September 24, 2026 | Knoxville | Up to two daily (737-700, 737-800, 737 MAX 8). Aside from bunching around the launch date, a weekly frequency will be available until October 24, with a one-off service on November 15 | No |
October 1, 2026 | Memphis | Mainly six weekly (737-700, 737 MAX 8, 737-800) | Yes, until 2016 |
October 3, 2026 | Destin-Fort Walton Beach | Weekly (737-700); only until October 24 | Yes, until 2023 |
October 3, 2026 | Santa Rosa | Weekly (737-700); only until October 24 | No |
March 7, 2027 | Fort Myers | Up to two weekly (737-700, 737 MAX 8) | No |
March 11, 2027 | Detroit | Six weekly (737-800, 737-700, 737 MAX 8) | Very briefly in 2024 |
March 13, 2027 | San José (Costa Rica) | Weekly (737 MAX 8) | No |
* Known as of September 25. Aircraft listed in order of the number of flights |
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A Look At Southwest’s Initial Performance From Austin To Palm Springs
Southwest flights between AUS and Palm Springs initially existed between March and May 2026. In this period, US Department of Transportation (DOT) data shows that the carrier transported 3,373 round-trip passengers. As this is just a number, it says little in itself.
When related to seats for sale, the load factor was a low 61.3%, dragged down by April (42.0%) and May (42.4%). The usual caveats about load factor are necessary. Still, the initial performance was undeniably poor. Service is due to resume in November, and it’ll be good to examine future data to see how things have changed.
Southwest’s initial result chimes with the performance of other operators. 
Alaska Airlines flew between AUS and Palm Springs in 2021 and 2022 and filled 67.3% of seats (this was during the pandemic). American Airlines operated from 2022 to 2024 with a load factor of 69.8%. Delta Air Lines replaced American in 2025, but only achieved 62.8%. Southwest and Delta coexisted in March and April 2026, with Delta filling just 57.1% of seats. It is unlikely that the market will sustain both carriers.
Austin Plays An Important Role For Connectivity
DOT data for the 12 months to June 2026 indicates that Southwest transported nearly 9.1 million passengers to/from AUS. The same source shows that about 6.7 million of them were local, which means that they only flew to/from that airport rather than connecting elsewhere.
Approximately 2.4 million Southwest passengers transited to another flight in AUS, generating around $352 million in revenue. Obviously, the transfer traffic was not as significant as for two other Texas airports: Dallas Love (an estimated 6.4 million passengers) and Houston Hobby (5.1 million).
The top ten most popular markets via AUS were El Paso-Orlando, San José (California)-Orlando, Harlingen-Las Vegas, Albuquerque-Orlando, Harlingen-Orlando, Phoenix-Orlando, Harlingen-Denver, Sacramento-Orlando, Phoenix-Miami, and Minneapolis-Houston Hobby.
